


He's not as ignorant as you think: Take that pop culture

by loracarol



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, In-universe shipping, Kink Meme, Not Actually Kinky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-18
Updated: 2014-07-18
Packaged: 2018-02-09 09:06:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1977084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loracarol/pseuds/loracarol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the Kink Meme: Five times Steve pretended not to understand pop culture references and one time he got it when no one else did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He's not as ignorant as you think: Take that pop culture

**Author's Note:**

> Please know, I mean no disrespect towards Steve/Tony shippers IRL given that they are both fictional characters. All opinions are meant to be approximately how I think the canon characters would react under the circumstances, but are not meant to be a commentary on real life shippers. :) 
> 
> Very short fic, mild Winter Soldier spoilers.

**Five times Steve pretended not to know something about pop culture...**

**-1-**

Steve was trying to explain exactly what the  _hell_  had just happened, when Tony stopped him. "You went in through the window?" He asked, smiling, but his eyes were tight, and his tone was fake-light, "you could give that Cullen guy some pointers!"   
  
"What" Steve replied, blinking.   
  
Tony took the "what" to mean that Steve didn't know who "that Cullen guy" was, and before Steve could explain that the "what" was more about why the hell had Tony interrupted him, Tony was off, explaining the juggernaut that was Twilight, and it's hold on the American psyche.   
  
"Never watch it sober" Tony declared, arm slung around Steve's neck. "In fact, sobriety is a bad idea. Let's go get drunk right now, and you can keep telling me your little story."   
  
Steve kept his mouth shut. He knew about Twilight, had in fact read the first book after one of the younger SHIELD (Hydra?) agents had given it to him as a prank, claiming that it was 21st century great literature, on par with Shakespeare, and Dickens.   
  
It wasn't his kind of book. But Tony was blabbering on about it, and Steve let him. After all,  _his_  story was a lot to take in, he could understand Tony needing to break the tension.

**-2-**

When Clint showed up at the door of Steve's suite in Stark/Avenger's Tower carrying bags of Chinese food, Steve blinked a little, then let him in without a word.   
  
Clint nodded, and went straight to the kitchenette, unloading his bags, and putting food out like a pro. While he focused on that, he muttered "Natasha told me about your list, and when I found out that you haven't seen one of the best shoes of all time, I figured I'd bring dinner."   
  
Steve raised his eyebrow, but nodded, going to grab forks and actual plates. Clint was rooting around in one of the bags that hadn't contained food, and he lifted the DVD case up with a grin.   
  
"Dog Cops" he said triumphantly. "The best television show of all time."   
  
Steve was about to tell Clint that he had watched Dog Cops while he was in the hospital, and had ended up streaming the whole series (he couldn't help it, he liked dogs), when he shut his mouth. Clint was standing too stiffly, and his grin was just on the wrong side of "real". Guilt lined his face, and hummed in every part of his body, and it was a guilt that Steve knew all too well.   
  
The guilt of finding out Too Late that the people you loved had been in danger, and you weren't there to help.   
  
He couldn't let Clint wallow in that guilt, so instead he smiled, and said "what's it about?" 

**-3-**

Missions about sneaking into places weren't Steve's favorite.   
  
He could do in and outs, that wasn't the problem, but when he had to be  _stealthy_?   
  
Granted, Natasha was teaching him, but it was still a pain in the ass.   
  
"Getting to Mordor would have been easier then this" Natasha hissed, as they ducked behind a corner. Steve made a mental note to ask her about it later, as they were still trying to get out of the building without anyone realizing they had been there.   
  
Later, he walked up to her, "Mordor?" He asked. Phil had given him the books on tape to listen to while he worked out, but he hadn't listened to them until after the man's death.   
  
Natasha flushed slightly, a tinge that only people close to her would recognize as existent.   
  
"It was one of the first books I read when I left the KGB" Natasha muttered, "Agent Coulson's favorites. Then she paused, turning an idea over in her head, "they made movies, you want to see them?" Her tone lightened, and Steve saw on her face an emotion that he hadn't truly seen since Fury's death. The feeling like she was truly doing something Right, even if it was a small thing.   
  
Steve nodded. "I'd like that."

**-4-**

"May the force be with you!" Thor boomed as he walked into the kitchen on the appropriate day of May 4th.   
  
"And also with you" Steve replied almost automatically, before blinking, and realizing exactly what Thor had said.   
  
"Seriously?" Tony asked, smoothie in hand, and smirking.  
  
Steve was about to retort, when instead he stopped, opened his eyes wide, and smiled innocently, "seriously what?" He asked, "I don't understand?"   
  
He did, in fact, understand, he had watched them with Sam, but Tony didn't need to know that.   
  
"You haven't seen Star Wars yet? The greatest trilogy of all time?" Tony snapped in mock horror. Thor's confused "but there are six films" ignored.   
  
"No?" Steve lied.   
  
"We've fought and with actual aliens and you haven't seen Star Wars" Tony asked, shocked.   
  
"Oh,  _aliens_!" Steve said, "like that movie with the Psychlos!"   
  
Tony looked actually wounded.

**-5-**

Steve hadn't known who had thought it would be a good idea to show him Indiana Jones, but later, he suspected it was a Hydra agent.   
  
Fighting Nazi's with magic powers? Hit a little close to home for him, as did the faces melting away to skulls.   
  
So he was surprised when he walked into one of Bruce's labs one day, and heard Bruce humming the theme song under his breath.   
  
"Bruce?" Steve asked, and Bruce blinked, looking at him.   
  
"Steve! I thought you were going to be down here later?" He asked, pushing his glasses back up on his face.   
  
"I got done early" Steve replied, "and JARVIS said you weren't doing anything I couldn't interrupt?"   
  
"Technically he was right" Bruce said with a wry grin. "I was just going over some calculations for something Tony suggested."   
  
"Oh?"   
  
"Do you remember reading about that guy that Tony fought with the electric whips?" Steve nodded, "Tony was messing around, and he found a way to make them really energy efficient, as a back-up weapon, if his power gets low."   
  
Steve was going to leave it at that, not wanting to bring up Indiana Jones any more when Bruce added, "I was thinking of redesigning the helmet so it looks like he's wearing an Indiana Jones hat, what do you think?"   
  
Steve didn't answer, as he tried to picture that, and Bruce mistook his silence for confusion.   
  
"We should watch those movies sometime" Bruce said, fiddling some more, would you be up for it?"   
  
Steve thought about it. Maybe it would be different if it was with friends? So he smiled.

* * *

  **...and one time Steve knew something about pop culture that the other's didn't**

"What the hell is "Stony" and why is it trending?" Tony asked, as he flipped through his phone.   
  
Before JARVIS could reply, Steve grinned, and said "it's you and me."   
  
" _Why?_ "  
  
"That picture of you carrying me through the air got big" Steve said, glee in his voice. After all, he hadn't wanted to be carried bridal style, but Tony had insisted as a joke, "and people decided we'd make a cute couple."   
  
"What."   
  
"You know, they think we're homosexuals. Gay. Lovers. Fucking."   
  
Tony dropped the phone. "What just came out of your mouth?"   
  
"Why is Tony asking what just came out of your mouth, do I really want to know?" Clint asked, Natasha trailing behind.   
  
"All I said was homosexual" Steve said, grin innocent.   
  
"Is this about that "Stony" thing?" Natasha asked, smirking.   
  
"Yes! Don't they realize I'm with Pepper?" Tony grumbled, glaring at Steve, and picking up his phone.   
  
"Yeah, but they don't care" Steve said with a shrug, "there's even art already, and some of it is pretty good!"   
  
"You look at art of us." Tony asked, deadpan, before he shook his head. "This is so weird. I'm used to the tabloids, but with you?"   
  
"To be fair, some people think I'm too good for you, and some people think I'm an evil homophobic bastard who will hate you for expressing your love for me, so" Steve pointed out, scrolling through  _his_  phone.   
  
"This is so weird" Tony said again, shaking his head.   
  
"It's just gossip, and people having fun" Steve pointed out. "If it gets out of hand, then we can do something, but for now, just ignore it."   
  
"How can I ignore people thinking you and me are about to have sex and get  _married_. I'm with Pepper."  
  
"They know" Natasha pointed out, "they just don't care.   
  
"I care" Tony said, "I'm done being in the tabloids for romantic issues. Superhero issues, sure, but romantic issues?"  
  
"We get it" Steve acknowledged, "though I just want to let you know that..." He stopped, then grinned devilishly "if you were not with Pepper, I would take you in a manly fashion."   
  
Tony glared at Steve, "no, don't you even- who the hell showed you- when did you watch-"  
  
"Because he's pretty?" Clint asked, laughing.   
  
"Because he's pretty" Steve acknowledged.   
  
"Fuck you all" Tony muttered. 


End file.
